A portable terminal which is provided to a user in a form of a smart phone, a tablet PC and the like has provided various useful functions.
The portable terminal has included various kinds of communication modules, i.e. a long-range communication module supporting 3G/4G communications and the like, and a short-range communication module supporting Wi-Fi communication and the like, to provide various wireless communication techniques. For example, the portable terminal can perform data communication including data sharing with other portable terminals using the communication modules. However, data communication techniques have not provided a user with convenience during the data communication such as during data sharing because of various reasons now described.
When transmitting a file using communication techniques of the related art, a file to be transmitted is first selected, a transmission button is pressed, and potential recipients of the file are listed. A recipient is selected from the list, and a process of certifying the recipient is completed. When an apparatus corresponding to the recipient stays in a standby state capable of receiving the file, the file transmission starts. Accordingly, the process is very complicated and inconvenient.
Also, many users are not familiar with wireless transmission techniques such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), and the like. Further, users have difficulty in learning new technical features such as searching, scanning, pairing, bonding, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Secure Simple Pairing (SSP), visibility, Discoverable, and the like. Accordingly, users cannot easily choose which wireless transmission technique is suitable for file transmission under certain circumstances. Therefore, it is problematic that a user transmits or receives a file using only wireless transmission techniques with which the user is familiar.
Further, in a case of sharing a file using a wireless transmission technique such as Bluetooth (ver. 3.0 or earlier) and Wi-Fi, either a Bluetooth module or a Wi-Fi module of the apparatus for transmitting and receiving the file must be active. Accordingly, where the apparatus is a portable terminal that is battery-operated, continuous consumption of electric power by the Bluetooth module or the Wi-Fi module is a problem. For example, since the activation of the Bluetooth module or the Wi-Fi module for data communication causes a significant consumption of standby electric current, portable terminals such as a smart phones or a tablet PC can be inefficient. Further, in a wireless transmission technique such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, there is a problem in that it sometimes takes several tens of seconds, for example thirty seconds, of scanning to identify an object that is to receive the file.
In order to address the above-mentioned inconveniences, a technique of transmitting data after performing Out Of Band (OOB) pairing using Near Field Communication (NFC) and the like is utilized. However, this technique results in an increase in power consumption in a data receiving apparatus since the data receiving apparatus must continuously remain in a standby state in order to receive data.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved apparatus and method for transmitting and sharing content using a wireless communication scheme, which can be more conveniently used and is capable of minimizing a consumption of electric power.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.